Words of Inspiration and Motivation-Quotes from individuals in the field of Early Childhood:

One of our favorite quotes from Dr. Greenspan's writings:

Parents can make a dramatic difference in how children use their wonderfully different natural abilities. Children vary considerably in the ways they use their senses and bodies and the ways they respond to the world. For each unique pattern, however, parents can create experiences that promote flexibility. The capacity to love, to empathize with others, to be confident and assertive, and to think creatively are complex products of many of our traits; indeed, they are the results of our relationships and experiences over many years.
A child's personality is a product of the unique and continuous interplay between nature and nurture. And this interplay happens in your relationship with your child. Your child brings his or her "nature", and you bring warmth and love wrapped up in a particular pattern of caring. It operates like a lock and a key. Finding the right key creates new patterns of interactions. Out of this new relationship, a child can often develop the warmth and confidence he or she needs.
For each stage of development there is a special "key". I believe that this knowledge about how to find the "keys" that will help any child, even those with difficult challenges, needs to be in the hands of each and every caregiver and parent.
Stanley Greenspan, 1995. The Challenging Child.  

 This last quote is by Stanley Greenspan on the First Signs website:

“Most mommies and daddies tell me “I thought there was a problem at 14 or 15 months...and they told me let’s wait and see because sometimes some kids grow out of it.’ Well, that’s not a good answer. We've got to make the distinction between less important problems, where we can wait and see from core problems, which involve a lack of reciprocity and a lack of getting to know your world. For these core problems, we have to act on it yesterday. We can’t wait nine months, we can’t wait two months” (Stanley I. Greenspan, M.D., Child Psychiatrist.)

" I had a built in passion that it was important to make a real contribution in the world and to fix all the injustices that existed in the world." "So the passion to create a safer, more just world for all kids is there and suppose will be there until I die and maybe even after."

~~Louise Derman-Sparks

"When I think about passion as a person I also embrace who I am; who I am as a woman, as a Latina leader, and what my family has taught me. It creates a foundation for my passion."

~~Leticia Lara

Personal Childhood Web-My Sister

Personal Childhood Web-My other Mother

My other Mother

This is Maria, she has been there for me before my mom passed, during her passing and after she passed. I adopt her as my other Mother, although she has children of her own, she always made me feel like I was the only one. 

I remembered when I wasn't feeling very well, she made me a huge pot of soup and said it should last me about 3 days, well, I ate it all in one..... 

Mama Maria volunteered her time in my daycare, the children absolutely loved her. She would get down on the floor and play with them, read stories to them and rub their backs during rest time. Although I am not near her in the presence since, we talk often enough that you would think we were. 

Personal Childhood Web-Sister Parris

Sister Parris 

Sister Parris is the one on the right in white. She was our church's first lady, the pastors wife and also the church's pianist. 

Sister Parris play a big part in my life as a child because she fostered creativity and saw that I was musically inclined. She encouraged me to start a musical youth group and allowed me to be the director of the children's choir. 

Whenever possible she would call on me to play the drums, piano or just to play along side her on my clarinet. I will never forget the times that she spent teaching me and being supportive of my music and theater adventures.   

Personal Childhood Web-My Mother and Father

These are five of the most incredible people to have ever walked this planet, in my eyes....

1934-2010 RIP Mama

This is my beautiful mother, she has always played such a strong role in my life. I lost her August of 2010 and my heart still much. Everyday gets a little better than the day before.

When I was young, I remember my mother always being there for me. She was a stay at home mom, I loved coming home to the smell of fresh baked bread. I would help her cook Sunday dinners on Saturday night and my favorite was licking the cake mix bowl. 

I would feel so special on Sundays after church when we would sit at the dinner table talking and my mother would mention all the dishes that I helped prepare. Boy, did that make me smile. 

After my mother's passing this is what I wrote: 

Just A note to say ‘Thanx’

Knowing that someone really appreciate you is great, to hear them say 'Thanx' warm the heart and allows you to do more because you know that you can look forward to hearing 'thanx'
  Take my children for example; when I cook something that they really like, they say with excitement 'Thanx mom that was good!' Hearing that from them lets me know that they not only like my cooking, but they appreciate me for making their favorite meal...
  I really believe that's what God wants to hear from us.  That excitement in our hearts that we are truly thankful, not just for when he does something that we like or want, but to always have a thankful heart.
 2 Corinthians 9:11 you will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
I lost my mother on August 15, 2010, my heart hurts so much and continues to hurt, I cry not because I’m sad or that I have regrets but because I miss hearing her voice and her calling me just to hear my voice…  there was a longing for that open line of communication.  I am grateful that we had that between us.
            When we don’t pray, meditate or fast I really believe in my heart God heart hurts and longs for us, to spend time with us, to enjoy us and to know that we appreciate him, love him and cares about how he feels.  God wants exactly what we want, to be loved and feel loved and to be appreciated, for just being him.
Ephesians 6:6 not in the way of service only when eyes are on you, as men-pleasers;
but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;


Patricia Schaller 12/1/2010

My day 7/22/1989

My dad and my hero. I would tag along with him everywhere. He owned a lawn service business and as a child I loved going just to see all of the expensive housing and to be ask in by all the rich people. I use to dream that one day I would own one those houses. 

I can remember in particular, sitting in the garage with my dad while he tinkered with his lawn mower asking him a thousand question. Why this, I would say, why that? 

Sometimes he didn't always have an answer for me, and in those moment he would say "Pat, everything thing is not meant for us to understand. Til this day I still don't understand how a black cow could eat green grass and produce white milk" my answer, why's that? My father would say 'go talk to you mother'

Some of my favorite Quotes

“Play is the work of the child.” – Maria Montessori

“Play is the highest form of research.” – Albert Einstein

“It is a happy talent to know how to play.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson                                 

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.” – Mr. Rogers

“The playing adult steps side ward into another reality; the playing child advances forward to new 
stages of mastery.” – Erik H. Erikson

“Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.” – O. Fred Donaldson

Child's Drawing

Child's Drawing

I chose this image because, the day before this 3 year old drew this picture, we took a field trip to the Children's Museum. when ask what was his picture of, he replied 'this is Trisha and me at the zoo.

Teacher Trisha

My favorite Children's Book

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?

Bill Martin Jr; illustrations by Eric Carle

Henry Holt and Co.

 

I love this book and all books by Bill Marin Jr; illustrated by Eric Carle. 

The reason I love their books so much is that the children love them and it didn't matter how many times I read them, it was like reading them for the very first time. 

The children participated with all the animal sounds and during free play, I would observe them reading to each other. 

Ah, makes a teacher heart smile. 

A Story about a child who touched my heart

The child that touched my life...

This is a child that I will call Tia. 
Tia was a student of mine when I taught at Head Start, she came to my classroom at age 3 with a lot of social emotional and developmental delays. she was born with alcohol fetal syndrome which made her impulsive and violent at times. 

When I left Head Start to pursue my dreams of having my own FCC. (family childcare), Tia went on to preschool part day, the rest of her time was spent at daycare. 

Because of her behaviors she'd been kicked out of several day cares with no where to turn. A friend of mine saw her mom while out shopping and ask how was Tia doing. Mom broke down and began to cry, she express she did not know what else to do because she needed to work. To make a long story short, she found me and I took Tia in and worked with her on a daily basis, I also worked with mother and her kindergarten teacher. Her mom was so please that she wrote a letter expressing her gratitude and said because of me her daughter's behavior has gone down 100%.

I said thank you, I am no miracle just a teacher who loves what she does. 

A picture of Patricia

Here's is a picture of me on the beach of North Shore Hi